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Women in the Law
A Celebration in Uncertain Times
An excerpt from an essay by Nicole P. Dyszlewski, Esq., of the RWU Law Library, and Louisa Fredey L’21, who served as president of the Women’s Law Society.
How will 2020 be remembered? Certainly as the year of COVID-19. Doubtlessly as a year marked by a contentious presidential election, and one in which a much-needed racial justice reckoning took hold.
But we should not forget that 2020 also marks a momentous anniversary for our country and our state. For it was 100 years ago, in 1920, that women, nationally, finally won the right to vote; and, in Rhode Island, also the right to sit for the bar and practice law in Rhode Island.
On Sept. 24, 1920, Ada Sawyer—longtime secretary to a male Providence attorney—sat for the Rhode Island bar exam after Supreme Court Associate Justice William H. Sweetland ruled that she qualified as a “person” under the law, and was therefore eligible to be an attorney in spite of her gender.
Today, 54% of the current first-year class at Roger Williams University School of Law—Rhode Island’s only law school—identifies as female, as does roughly 36% of the membership of the Rhode Island Bar Association. Those numbers are something to celebrate. As voters and lawyers, women attorneys today stand on the shoulders of those who creatively and bravely fought to secure the rights we enjoy today.
And yet, we have not reached the “happy ending” of either story. Voter suppression, unfortunately, remains an issue to this day. Rhode Island, for example, still has a voter identification law—a type of law that is known to disproportionately impact communities of color. Likewise, gender discrimination in the legal field persists—and again, these issues are further amplified for women of color.
As with so many aspects of 2020, this celebration will be overshadowed by the stark reality of just how far we still must go to obtain true equality.
A large cross section of the RWU Law community gathered for this online event marking 100 years since the 19th Amendment guaranteed and protected the constitutional right to vote for women. It included a virtual tour of a special traveling ABA exhibit, which in Fall 2020 was on display at RWU Law.
An inspiring discussion followed, covering diverse aspects of the Amendment’s critical and complex legacy—and its meaning for our political future. Speakers included Rhode Island Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea, Professor Gloria J. Browne-Marshall of John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and Sara Guillermo, Executive Director of IGNITE.
100 Years After the 19th Amendment: Their Legacy, and Our Future Screen captures of the Honorable Netti Vogel and the Honorable Maureen McKenna Goldberg at the 20th Annual “Women in Robes” event.
Women in Robes Turns 20!
RWU Law students, faculty, staff, and alumni gathered to virtually celebrate the 20th year of RWU Law’s popular annual Women in Robes event. Women members of the Rhode Island Judiciary shared their experiences and celebrated the evergrowing role of women in the Rhode Island legal community; the attendees then dispersed to several “breakout rooms” for the networking component of the evening.
Speakers included the Honorable Maureen McKenna Goldberg, Senior Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court; the Honorable Netti Vogel, Associate Justice of the Rhode Island Superior Court; the Honorable Melissa Long, Associate Justice of the Rhode Island Superior Court; and the Honorable Patricia Sullivan, United States Magistrate Judge for the U.S. District Court, District of Rhode Island.
RBG Contest
To end the year, RWU Law invited Ocean State students from grades K through 12 to submit essays and artwork describing how they have been inspired by the legacy of the late Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg of the Supreme Court of the United States, who passed away on Sept. 18, 2020.
As part of the prize, Rhode Island Lawyers Weekly agreed to publish the winning entries. Winning students also received cash prizes and books. The response was gratifyingly large and enthusiastic. The winners were “Breaking Glass Ceilings” by Millin Licht, Jewish Community Day School, Providence; “Jackpot and Ruth Bader Ginsburg” by Mairead Lapierre, Lawn School, Jamestown; and “A Seat at the Table” by Jasmine Stevens, St. Mary Academy—Bay View, East Providence.
“Breaking Glass Ceilings,” the winning elementary school entry, by Millin Licht, Jewish Community Day School, Providence.
Gonzales is R.I. ‘Lawyer of the Year’
Rhode Island Lawyers Weekly selected Professor Deborah Gonzalez ’03, L’07 as Rhode Island’s 2020 Lawyer of the Year, citing her outstanding advocacy for the safety of immigrant detainees at Wyatt Detention Center in Central Falls, R.I.
A longtime immigrant advocate and an increasingly visible media commentator, Gonzalez has dedicated her life and career to helping some of America’s neediest, most vulnerable communities. In July 2020, she was named as RWU Law’s Bruce I. Kogan Distinguished Service Professor, a two-year appointment that runs through June 30, 2022.
“It is impossible for me to describe the many ways in which Debbie has gone above and beyond to make valuable contributions to the community,” said former Dean Michael Yelnosky, in announcing the appointment.
Asked about the honor, Gonzalez replied, “I was taken aback. I’m so lucky to be able to do all this work, and I’m looking forward to continuing so long as I can.”
